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PIA News Service - Monday, October 22, 2012

Partners for resilient conducts disaster risk
assessment using three municipalities in Agusan del Sur as model

By David M. Suyao

AGUSAN DEL SUR, Oct. 22 (PIA) -- Three
municipalities in this province were made models by the Philippine Red Cross
(PRC) and CARE Philippines for the vulnerability and capacity assessment (VCA),
part of the initial activities as recipient of the Netherlands’ financed
program on disaster risk reduction and management.

The three municipalities, Esperanza, Talacogon
and Bunawan, were assessed with regards to climate, community, livelihood, land
use/natural resources and disaster risk aspects, ecosystem characterization and
changes in the last 30 years.

The assessing team was composed of a Philippine
Red Cross Project officer, delegate from the CARE Phils., Inc. and the Wetland
International and was formed as chosen by the PRC and the Netherlands
representative to assess the situation of the selected recipient province.

The references the assessing team used in
determining the disasters/events causing livelihood vulnerability are the
vulnerability and capacity assessment or the vulnerability risk assessment
(VCA/VRA) and an ecosystem characterization presented by the Wetland
International.

The assessing team also found out the factors of
increased disaster risk. For increased flood risk, conflicting laws/policies on
land use/natural resources management and weak implementation of these laws is
the number one factor. Number two factor are plantations, mining companies that
have emerged, the increase in population, increase in logging activities and
destruction of natural landscape leading to construction of dams, siltation and
the conversion of marshland into agricultural land. The number three factor is
the climate change with consideration to the number of days with extreme
rainfall and rising of temperature.

For increased water pollution, the team
considered climate, including the increased rainfall and temperature and the
rising of sea level, as the number one factor. Second is the community where
the population increase and poor knowledge on sanitation and hygiene is found,
and third is livelihood, land use and natural resources, which include chemical
contamination from mining and agricultural activities, siltation and erosion
and the pest called the janitor fish.

With these findings, the team recommends some of
the most effective strategies to reduce disaster risk. To address increased
flood risk, the team recommends sustainable land use through advocacy for
responsible mining, logging and land use; improvement of the implementation and
regulation of environmental laws, reforestation programs and increasing
awareness and capacity to protect natural resources.

The team also recommends alternative livelihood
and developing sustainable, flood-resilient livelihood strategies. To address
water pollution, the team recommends advocacy for responsible and regulated
mining; in-depth assessment of river system and identification of problems and
their causes; sustainable agriculture; alternative livelihoods so that people
will stop logging; and processing of contaminated water for safe drinking.
(RER/DMS/PIA-Agusan del Sur)

Surigao del Sur observes National Correctional
Consciousness Week

By Nida Grace B. Tranquilan

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Oct. 22 (PIA) --
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology Surigao del Sur District Jail-Tandag
held a motorcade early morning today as an opening salvo for the weeklong
celebration of the 18th National Correctional Consciousness Week and Prison
Awareness Week.

In a statement, the agency said a series of
activities are set to be conducted like sports fest, Search for Talentadong
Inmate, interfaith activities, legal counselling and many more joined by the
inmates during the observance of the twin celebration.

A program aimed to raise public awareness for
the celebration will be held at the SDS District Jail-Tandag right after the
motorcade.

Likewise, the program also aims to educate the
community that these prisoners are also human and have their individual rights
to be respected, and encourage them to participate in the rehabilitation of
inmates.

The celebration is set to culminate on October
28, the inmates’ “Family day” at the same time. The event will be highlighted with
a search for “Miss Macho Gay 2012.” (RER/NGBT/PIA-Surigao del Sur)

Agusan del Sur provincial development fund
brings better roads

By Melody de Vera

PATIN-AY, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur, Oct. 22
(PIA) -- Residents from nine barangays in the municipalities of Esperanza,
Prosperidad, San Francisco and the lone City of Bayugan now enjoy good roads
after rehabilitation and repairs have been completed.

The 14-kilometer road that connects the national
road junction from Bayugan City to Barangays Cagbas, Saguma, Charito and Gamao
which were damaged during the past heavy rains is now passable under all
weather conditions. The improvement, rehabilitation and repairs were extended
to Barangays San Toribio and Labao in Esperanza town.

Another 6.7-kilometer road that connects the
national road junction from the national highway in Patin-ay, Prosperidad to
Barangay Lucac and Pisaan in San Francisco town was completed.

The total cost of this road's rehabilitation,
repairs and improvement is P4,347,396, taken from the 20 percent provincial
development fund of 2011 as part of Agusan del Sur Gov. Adolph Edward Plaza’s
program in providing easy access to far-flung barangays while ensuring safety
travel of farmers and their families.

Barangay Saguma Chairman Virgelio Gumop-as said
they are very lucky to have been chosen as one of the recipients of the road
rehabilitation projects of the provincial government.

“Because of this, the 20 percent budget that we
set aside for the rehabilitation of the said road was saved and we can spend it
in another priority project that the people in Barangay Saguma needed most. We
want to thank from the bottom of our hearts Gov. Adolph Edward Plaza for his
never-ending support to us and all the Agusanons,” Gumop-as said.

For the residents in the area who mainly
dependent on farming, the project is a big help to them. Transporting their
agricultural products has become easier and has entailed lesser costs.

Barangay Captain Manuel Perez of San Toribio
also said that in times of emergency, residents in San Toribio will find it
easier to bring their patients to the hospital for treatment even during night
time because of the good road condition.

For their part, barangay officials and residents
of Lucac took extra steps in ensuring the road’s sustainability by passing
Ordinance No. 2 which regulates the passage of vehicles loaded with heavy
cargoes especially during the rainy season to prevent it from being damaged.
Barangay Captain Ramona Pajo said the ordinance is also their way of expressing
their appreciation to Plaza, by maintaining the road in good condition in
return.

Among other projects funded by the 2011 PDF are
the construction of the public market in Taglatawan, Bayugan City; concreting
of Ninoy Aquino boulevard (Phase 3), Poblacion, Prosperidad; concreting of the
Integrated Bus Terminal road, Poblacion, Rosario; concreting of Binahanan
street in San Teodoro and Singanan street in San Andres, both in Bunawan;
construction of Proper Binucayan-Union road in Binucayan, Loreto; regravelling
of Panagangan-Ipil-Langasian FMR in La Paz; improvement of A.D. Curato street,
Poblacion, Talacogon; rehabilitation of San Isidro–Bayugan 2 FMR, San Isidro,
San Francisco; rehabilitation of NRJ-Lapinigan-Mate road, San Francisco; and
rehabilitation of Poblacion–Iloan road, Poblacion, Loreto. (DMS/PIA-Agusan del
Sur)